Ever since the release of “Chicago II” in early 1970, many Chicago fans have wondered about the meaning of “25 or 6 to 4.” Many interesting theories have been discussed throughout the last 30 years.
The most prominent theory is that the song title is a description of the chemical composition of the drug LSD. (It’s a rock song from the ’70s, so it’s got to be about drugs, right?) Another theory is that the title refers to route numbers on the Chicago Loop.
As interesting as these theories are, they’re both wrong. According to Robert Lamm, Chicago’s keyboardist and the writer of “25 or 6 to 4,” the song title refers to time.
In an interview, Lamm said that the song is about trying to write a song late at night. People who doubt this need only look at the lyrics: “Waiting for the break of day, Searching for something to say.” The words “25 or 6 to 4” represent 25 or 26 minutes to 4 in the morning, i.e. 3:35 or 3:34.
Following the success of “Make Me Smile,” the first single released from “Chicago II” and the band’s first hit song, “25 or 6 to 4” reached No. 4 in the summer of 1970.